As the week draws to a close, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wraps up his whirlwind visit to Houston with a “roundtable discussion” with unspecified “business executives.”

Later this morning, he’ll meet with Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Alaska Senator Lisa Ann Murkowski – who, like Trudeau, followed her father, former Alaskan governor Frank Murkowski, into politics.

He’ll also take a few questions from the traveling and local press before going off the radar for a few hours before his scheduled boarding of the Challenger to fly home.

Back in the capital, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly is in town for a full day of closed-door meetings with “multiple Canadian ministers,” according to his press office, including his chief Canadian counterpart Ralph Goodale, Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, Transport Minister Marc Garneau and Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould.

Topping the agenda for discussion will be “U.S.-Canada collaboration across the broad spectrum of the DHS portfolio,” as well as “shared priorities relating to perimeter security and traveler screening, cross border trade and travel, law enforcement cooperation, infrastructure, and immigration, refugee, and visa policy.”

Meanwhile, Social Development Minister Jean-Yves Duclos hits the National Press Theatre to provide what his office is billing as a “pre-budget briefing … on the state of the middle class.” The advisory doesn’t mention if Duclos’ presentation will also cover “those working hard to join it,” as the now almost painfully familiar Liberal talking point continues.

Finally, Conservative leadership candidate Erin O’Toole and an unnamed “special guest” are slated to make a “special announcement,” which will almost certainly involve the aforementioned mystery supporter offering up his or her public endorsement.

MPs will close out the week by spending a few more hours debating the government’s efforts to undo changes made to the bill to set up a parliamentary committee to oversee national security and intelligence issues, which were adopted at committee, and are, according to the opposition, essential to ensure the panel has the necessary independence and autonomy to fulfil the duties with which it will be tasked.

Later this afternoon, the chamber will shift its collective attention to New Democrat MP Pierre-Luc Dusseault’s bid to impose mandatory labelling requirements on “genetically modified food,” which is set to undergo an opening round of debate today.

When the curtain falls this afternoon, it will mark the start of an extended recess for both parliamentary chambers: MPs won’t be back in their seats until March 20, while the Upper House will remain shuttered until March 28.

AT COMMITTEE

Human resources members head to Toronto for a full day of testimony on poverty reduction strategies, which will include commentary from municipal officials, social services and housing agencies, and advocacy groups.

ELSEWHERE ON & AROUND THE HILL TODAY

Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett joins Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde and Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler to share the latest news on “First Nation child and family services in remote locations,” followed by what the advisory describes as a “brief media availability” just outside the House of Commons.

OUTSIDE THE PRECINCT

Back in her home province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Public Services Minister Judy Foote drops by the Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Resources to announce the details of a “significant investment in Atlantic Canada’s fish and seafood sector,” which she will present on behalf of Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc.

LeBlanc himself is slated to make a similarly themed announcement in Halifax later this morning.

Environment Minister Catherine McKenna continues her western mini-tour with a visit to the Canadian Rockies Public School in Banff, where she will “exchange with” grade four students “on what they learned of the bison reintroduction project at Banff National Park.”

Further afield, the impeachment of South Korean President Park Geun-hye has been upheld by the country’s Constitutional Court, capping off the first removal of a democratically elected leader in the country’s history. Park had been embroiled in a graft scandal that saw her lose the confidence of the government, who moved for her impeachment.

In short, says Michael Harris, Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin is pursuing a campaign of dirty tricks against Canada over its support for Ukraine — not as spectacular as the one which warped the 2016 U.S. presidential election, but painful enough for Freeland personally.

University of Toronto law doctoral candidate Megan Ross makes her iPolitics debut with a provocative piece about how a revolting case involving a child sex doll may be serving to pervert the intent of Canada’s child pornography laws.